The US Supreme Court ruled that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors violates free speech rights guaranteed under the First Amendment. In an 8-1 decision written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court sided with Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist from Colorado Springs who argued that the state's restrictions interfered with her ability to provide talk therapy.
Key Takeaways
The US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy violates free speech rights under the First Amendment. The decision impacts similar bans in over 20 states and was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, with only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting.
- Supreme Court rules Colorado's conversion therapy ban unconstitutional
- Decision based on First Amendment free speech protections
- Ruling likely to invalidate similar laws in more than 20 states
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing the law regulates professional conduct
- Critics warn of psychological harm to LGBTQ+ minors
The justices ruled that lower courts had 'erred by failing to apply sufficiently rigorous scrutiny' to restrictions on free speech. The ruling sends the case back to the lower courts and could impact similar bans in more than 20 states, including California. Colorado officials had argued that the law regulated professional conduct rather than speech.
The majority opinion stated that 'the First Amendment's protections extend to licensed professionals much as they do everyone else.' Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing that Chiles was speaking as a medical professional and that First Amendment principles have less salience in such contexts. According to CBS News, Jackson read her dissenting opinion from the bench.
The decision has sparked reactions from various groups. Jaymes Black, leader of The Trevor Project, an LGBT advocacy group, called the ruling 'painful' and stated it would put young lives at risk. Meanwhile, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jim Campbell hailed the ruling as a 'significant win for free speech,' per Fox News.
The Supreme Court's decision comes after oral arguments in October where justices appeared skeptical of the law. Chiles initially sued over the Colorado law in 2022, and multiple lower courts denied her request to pause its enforcement before she appealed to the Supreme Court. The ruling underscores ongoing debates about free speech, religious rights, and LGBTQ+ protections.
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